Oscar-awarded Movie Fonts 2012

Oscar-winning movie fonts 2012:
Which fonts appear on film posters?

The Academy Awards for 2012 have already been presented. But the spotlight is not only on the winning films, actors and technicians, but also on the film posters and typographic film title designs. While individually customised versions of typefaces are frequently used, it also often the case that fonts from the Linotype Library are employed or, at least, fonts very similar to those that can be found there.

Learn about a selection of the corresponding fonts below.

The Iron Lady

For her starring role as the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Meryl Streep was awarded the Oscar for Best Actress. Some versions of the film poster have the tagline “NEVER COMPROMISE” and bear text set almost exclusively in uppercase Palatino®, a font designed by Hermann Zapf. This typeface, derived from the forms of Renaissance Antiqua, is on the one hand finely proportioned and refined, with an almost graceful effect. At the same time, Palatino is a real tough workhorse that does not shy away from difficult situations and is always clearly legible. Palatino itself never compromises.Please click on the image to see the typeface in more detail.

The Help

By researching the experiences of African-American maids who have spent their entire lives taking care of children of well-to-do white families, young Skeeter not only breaks with convention, but also violates social etiquette. Octavia Spencer won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of the maid Minny.Paul Renner’s Futura®, which is very similar to the font used on the film’s poster, is one of the most prominent representatives of the group of artificial Grotesque typefaces. At first, its Bauhaus style-like design did not please everyone, was unconventional and triggered controversy. But for the past several decades, it has been recognised as a font that radiates a certain elegance and conceptual clarity.
Please click on the image to see the typeface in more detail.

Hugo

This film tells the story of young Hugo, an orphan who lives in a Paris railway station in the 1930s and whose task it is to solve the mystery of an automaton left to him by his father. The film won five Academy Awards in technical categories.
The film poster lettering, with its golden 3D effect, resembles University™ Roman Bold by Mike Daines. The playful character of this highly individual typeface makes it instantly recognisable.Please click on the image to see the typeface in more detail.

Undefeated

In this film, we witness the progress of an underdog football team from a Memphis high school. The film won the Award for Best Documentary Feature.
The title “Undefeated” on the poster appears to have a stamp-like effect, similar to that of Impact™ by Geoffrey Lee. Impact is a very compressed, ultra-thick sans-serif that does what it says – makes an impact. The subtitle is set in uppercase Akzidenz Grotesk® Medium. This early sans serif was originally released by H. Berthold and was subsequently modified by Günter Gerhard Lange.
Please click on the image to see the typeface in more detail.

A Separation

This Iranian film shows the complications that arise when Simin decides to separate from her husband Nadar. It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Used on the poster is a translucent version of Neue Helvetica® Bold. The main features of this font, designed by Max Miedinger, are its neutral, clear and readily legible characters. The cool, dispassionate nature of this font means that the title remains deliberately neutral with regard to the action of the film.
Please click on the image to see the typeface in more detail.

The Muppets

The well-known puppet characters want to save their former theatre from demolition and so need to reunite all their colleagues, who are now scattered around the world. “The Muppets” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Used for the poster titling is Futura Extra Bold. The clear, synthetic and perhaps somewhat rigid nature of the font forms an excellent contrast to the activity on the rest of the poster.
Please click on the image to see the typeface in more detail.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

This fantasy film is about the life of Morris Lessmore in a house full of living books. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
The books in the film are old and have clearly been in the house long before the arrival of Lessmore. The font used for the word “Books” on the poster is a blackletter-like typeface with a roughed outline similar to Blackmore™ by David Quay. “Fantastic Flying” and “Mr. Morris Lessmore”, on the other hand, are set in a slightly modified version of Eccentric™ by Gustav F. Schroeder, a typeface that draws attention to itself through its unusual proportions.
Please click on the image to see the typeface in more detail.

The Shore

After many years, Joe again encounters his childhood friend Paddy who he lost touch with after a misunderstanding during the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland. “The Shore” won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short.
Used on the poster is Minion® Semibold Italic in its uppercase swash variant. Minion, designed by Robert Slimbach, was inspired by the timeless elegance of the fonts of the later Renaissance and, as is here apparent, is suitable for uses other than setting continuous text.
Please click on the image to see the typeface in more detail.

The Descendants

Following an accident, Matt King’s wife is comatose and about to die. Matt not only needs to cope with this new situation and take care of his daughters, but also finds out that his wife was having an affair.
The poster title has been created using Caslon Antique from FontHaus. This font is based on Caslon’s original Caslon, one of the ageless classic typefaces. In the FontHaus version, the refinement of the original is still recognisable, but the abraded outline makes Caslon Antique appear old and slightly weathered.
Please click on the image to see the typeface in more detail.